Evidence for placental compensation in cattle

Autor: M. Van Eetvelde, M.M. Kamal, M. Hostens, L. Vandaele, L.O. Fiems, G. Opsomer
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: Animal, Vol 10, Iss 8, Pp 1342-1350 (2016)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1751-7311
17517311
DOI: 10.1017/S1751731116000318
Popis: Prenatal development is known to be extremely sensitive to maternal and environmental challenges. In this study, we hypothesize that body growth and lactation during gestation in cattle reduce nutrient availability for the pregnant uterus, with consequences for placental development. Fetal membranes of 16 growing heifers and 27 fully grown cows of the Belgian Blue (BB) breed were compared to determine the effect of body growth on placental development. Furthermore, the fetal membranes of 49 lactating Holstein Friesian (HF) cows and 27 HF heifers were compared to study the impact of dam lactation compared to dam body growth. After parturition, calf birth weight and body measurements of dam and calf were recorded, as well as weight of total fetal membranes, cotyledons and intercotyledonary membranes. All cotyledons were individually measured to calculate both the surface of each individual cotyledon and the total cotyledonary surface per placenta. Total cotyledonary surface was unaffected by breed or the breed×parity interaction. Besides a 0.3 kg lower cotyledonary weight (P=0.007), heifer placentas had a smaller total cotyledonary surface compared with placentas of cows (0.48±0.017 v. 0.54±0.014 m2, respectively, P
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